Google recently made changes to the way they filter messages. And based on our current style of design & layout for the newsletter, we really fall under "Promotions". Here's how to land emails in the Primary inbox:

- Write in Traditional Letter Form
In email marketing, personal touch wins. By keeping your message simple and natural, it makes the reader feel like you are writing directly to them. It also fools Google.

- Lose the Images
Contrary to social media best practices, Gmail has its own rules. For whatever reason, Google sees images as a sign of a promotion or spam message. You will increase your readership by not having pictures.

- Include No More Than One Link
The point of the email is usually to drive traffic to your website, right? So, the prudent thing to do is write an exclusive email and give the reader reasons why they should click that link. Make it all natural and smooth of course. Now don’t get me wrong, you can get away with more than 1 link, but it’s not guaranteed you will survive the Google filter.

- Keep It Short
This is a new trend that I’ve noticed in my research. The longer your email is, the less likely it makes it to Primary.

- Ditch the Pitch
Trying to blatantly sell products or services will decrease the likelihood of landing in the Primary inbox.